D.C. United finally got its first win of the season and its first under Coach Tom Soehn. Defending champion Houston awoke at the expense of Colorado. New England repaid the only team to beat it this season, and Jason Kreis' debut as Real Salt Lake head coach was a thriller with the Red Bulls. Soehn had raised some eyebrows, especially the bushy ones of Jaime Moreno, by benching the Bolivian star for the first half of Thursday's 1-1 tie with the Revs. Soehn invoked further changes for the visit of Chivas USA (2-3-0) Sunday and United (1-3-1) won 2-1 with goals by Moreno and Christian Gomez.

Justin Moose and Guy-Roland Kpene got starting nods, and a flick by Kpene from a Ben Olsen cross set up Gomez to volley the opening goal. Kasali Yinka Casal replaced Moose at halftime and won a penalty kick in the 65th minute when he was hacked down by Lawson Vaughn. Moreno coldly chipped the PK right down the middle for the winning goal as Brad Guzan flew to his left.

Still, D.C. couldn't close out the game efficiently as so many United teams have done in the past. Maykel Galindo forced his way past Josh Gros to slam a shot high into the net with 17 minutes to play, and a powerful far-post header by Francisco Mendoza two minutes before the end of regulation went straight to Troy Perkins.

With the chance to avenge its only 2007 loss, New England returned the favor by beating the Chicago Fire, 3-1, to move into a second-place tie with the New York Red Bulls.

Jeff Larentowicz volleyed in a Steve Ralston corner kick for a 1-0 Revs lead they squandered when Chris Rolfe collected a partially cleared ball and belted it in from 25 yards out. Ralston got the winner for New England (3-1-2) midway through the second half by touching in a bending cross from Khano Smith, whose flank play in the second half sparked much of the Revs' attack. Rookie Wells Thompson boomed a shot high into the net for his first MLS goal.

Deprived of Shalrie Joseph because of the red card he received in Thursday's tie with D.C. United, Revs coach Steve Nicol started defender Michael Parkurst in central midfield. Chicago (3-1-1) ended the weekend in third place.

Houston, with just one goal and one win in four matches, went to Dick's Sporting Goods Park, and after falling behind on a garbage goal by Roberto Brown in the third minute, riddled the Rapids three times in 13 minutes to win, 3-1.

Brian Ching tucked away a low near-post cross from Brad Davis to tie the match, and Dwayne DeRosario won it with a scything dribble and left-footed blast of exceptional quality even by his astronomical standards. He added a third goal from the closest possible range, nudging home a loose ball rolling along the goal line after Bouna Coundoul deflected a point-blank Paul Dalglish shot.

Houston (2-2-1), Colorado (2-2-1) and FC Dallas (2-3-1) are tied atop the Western Conference with seven points. In the Eastern Conference, they'd be tied for fifth and that discrepancy will come into play later in the season, as the last four playoff places will be decided on total points, not conference standings.

Kansas City (4-1-0) took top spot in the East by scoring in the final seconds to beat stubborn Columbus, 1-0. Jose Burciaga, much as did DeRosario, sliced his way through the middle to drill a left-footer, and his low, bouncing shot whistled inside the post to deflate the Crew (1-1-3), which finished with as many cautions as shots on goal (four).

The goals flew in during the head-coaching debut of all-time leading MLS goalscorer Jason Kreis. Trailing 3-1, RSL (0-2-3) struck twice in the final minutes with a Jeff Cunningham penalty kick and an incredible, swerving equalizer by Chris Brown to earn a 3-3 tie.

Clint Mathis scorched the team he left Germany to join two seasons ago, setting up Dane Richards for a goal in the 12th minute and netting twice himself to give RBNY (3-0-2) a two-goal lead with only seven minutes left. But the time, scant as it was, was enough for Jeff Parke to elbow Carey Talley in the box to produce the penalty, and for Brown to emulate an earlier Chris Klein strike from distance to salvage a memorable point.